Reviews by Nerudamann:

Look - amber in color, clear, with good carbonation and about two fingers' worth of frothy tan-colored foam that dissipates slowly.

Smell - fairly malty, but maybe with some hints of hops. I almost get a sorghum kind of aroma out of it, but that might be wrong.

Taste - it tastes a little more hoppy than it smells, but the hops still aren't terribly present. There's a fair bit of bitterness, but not a lot of bite. The barely used tastes interesting, but I don't think sorghum was actually used.

Mouthfeel - the texture is more on the watery side.

Overall - not a bad brew, and fairly interesting to taste and think about.

More User Reviews:

Pours a deep clear copper with a rather thin head that is gone pretty fast,the Pacific NW presence really shows in the aroma of this ale with a real noticable piney hop presence over top some light caramel and butter.Very nicely balance quaffable ale here a firm lightly sweet malty backbone like that of cookie dough holds up to a pretty generously hopped beer here some pine and evergreen rounds this one out nicely.I have had chances to have this on tap from time to time and passed it up,I have to say I was pleasantly suprised by this one,a real sessionable easy drinking amber.

Appearance  Beautiful orange copper color and a nice head that came down slowly.

Smell  Stiff hop aroma with some grain.

Taste  The malt thats there is overpowered by the bitter hops. Theres some grain in there as well if you work real hard to find it, but mostly this is an unbalanced pale ale. I dont know why they labeled it, Scottish.

Mouthfeel  There is a dry smoothness to this beer but little carbonation.

Drinkability  This is an easy, thirst-quenching drinker with a nice mouthfeel, but it lacks the complexity and character of a true Scottish ale.

New packaging, new marketing push, same beer. They are not trying to reinvent anything, but rather trying to push a brand that has been around for quite awhile. Most brands in any business are due for this, and now it is Mac's turn. So let's revisit what's inside the packaging.

Exceptional froth forms a sticky, web-like lace on the glass over a stunningly clear amber-colored brew. Lots of citric and floral notes in the nose; mild malt and caramel in the back. A very clean aroma. Perfect smoothness within a moderate body and medium carbonation. Very clean palate with a fluffy character throughout, if perhaps a bit thin. An imploding flavor profile of bread, caramel, malt sweetness, citric-hop flavor and bitterness with a bite shows balance and complexity within an easy-drinking session beer. Finishes dry with a fading flavor of grain and hop.

Beer snobs need to recognize that without beers like this we would still be in the dark ages of beer--retro Lagers would have never become retro and everything would still be yellow and fizzy. A healthy plate of sweet and spicy slow-cooked beef brisket with twice-fried potatoes and collard greens ended up being a stellar pairing--and the bottle of Mac's in the beef made it that much better.

Amberish color but light. Had a quickly disappearing head, had a hoppy sour bread aroma that was completely gone by the second whiff, sort of a sweet carmelly tastebalanced with a nice hop aftertaste, it then finished off somewhat dry. Seemed very drinkable, will probaly try again,

This is a funny beer. It looks and smells pretty good but the taste is kind of off and there's not too much finish. I expected more from the slightly cloudy amber tone and clean aromas. The malts are a little thin and there's a dry citusy aftertaste. Not the best beer I've had.

Mixed sixer at the Beer Store,served in a nonic glass from a stubby 12oz bottle with a twist off cap.

Slightly hazed,brillant medium amber color with a good 1" creamy white head,good retention leaving some spotty lacing. Fair amount of carbination with some large soda like bubbles stuck on the sides of the glass and constiant stream of staggering tiny bubbles surging to the surface.

Good,moderate hop nose,floral/citrus with hints of earthyness and light sweet maltiness in the background.

Light sweet pleasing carmelly tastes,some grassyness balances out nicely with a crisp citrusy hoppiness. Good honest taste,nice well made beer.

Light,refreshing with a zesty mouthwatering tang. Very enjoyable a plesasing suprize from a random pick. Reminds me a bit of Hop Sun. Could session this beer, light enough to be a good summer drinker.

I reviewed a can of Mac's and thought it was inferior to the bottle. Now that I am reviewing a bottle, I am proved right; this is better, although a draft pour may be the best possible method. The beer is rich golden bronze and the head sadly vanishes without a trace. Pleasing aroma of hearty malts with perhaps a crisp fruitiness, evocative of apples or pears. The flavor of the beer is substantial, yet remains easy to drink. It contains sweet bready malts, some cookie batter, and an element of single malt scotch, although very little in the way of smokiness or peatiness. A ghostlike shell of hoppiness outlines the beer and sets it in perfect relief; just the finest trace of bubble gum and grapefruit really brings out the flavor of the malts to their fullest. The balance is wondrous. The beer's mouthfeel is smooth, if a bit watery; this may be the same problem as the vanishing head. Drinkability is very high; it's an effortless brew to quaff and it should be suitable for a vast array of occasions and meals. A good beer for shaking off the chill on a rainy autumn day in Portland.

Fairly clear - very slight haze. Deep amber in color with a reddish-orange cast. Nice, full ivory head that holds pretty well and leaves some excellent lace. The aroma is of gently fruity, lightly caramel-tinged malt backed by some earthy hops. The body is medium-light with a restrained, and very fine, carbonation. The mouthfeel is soft and smooth. The flavor mirrors the aroma with an emphasis on light caramel malt backed by hops. Slightly bitter for a Scottish-style, but that's to be expected for a beer coming out of Portland, Oregon. Very nice, well done, and enjoyable beer.

Poured from the 12oz bottle into a pint glass. Body is a bright orange-amber hue, topped by a small creamy white head. Mild aroma of light caramel and amber malts, with a light, fruity hop presence and a hint of sweet biscuit. Palate is mild and pleasant. Lightly sweet, biscuity malt mingles with just a touch of hops. Finish is a touch sweet, with a very light fruity quality. Body is smooth and just a little creamy. A classic amber ale, it's a shame that this seems to have fallen out of favor with local bars in the past few years. Hopefully Pyramid's efforts to reenergize the Mac's brand will prove to be effective.

This amber ale has a definite hop aroma. The color could be described as a mixture of brown, red, and golden. The foaminess level is adequate enough. It doesn't produce a good head of foam, but it's acceptable. A little more complexity or additional malt flavor would have swayed my opinion a notch higher. But it's still a very good, hoppy ale. It's a little more on the bitter side than other beers, but hop lovers will think it's great!

MacTarnahan’s Amber Ale: wow, this is one fizzy freaking micro-lager. Gotta call them like I see them: in a blind taste session, this could pass for one of the big three beers, and that is no compliment. Nice enough looking amber beer, with a whitish head, when poured with some vigor. The taste was there, but only after a great while. The initial taste was very carbonated, and I immediately thought of a A-B product. I could tell that the beer had fairly high quality ingredients, but I have to say that the carbonation must be toned down.